Harare Bureau
The price of beer has gone up by between 10 cents and 20 cents with effect from yesterday according to a circular released to wholesalers and retailers by Delta Corporation.According to the circular, the price of a 375ml brown bottle is now $0,90c from $0,80c while 340ml green bottles are selling at $1 from $0,80c.
Brown bottle quarts will now sell at $1,75 from $1,55 while green 660ml bottles are now $1,80 from $1,75. A snap survey done by our Harare Bureau yesterday showed that all major wholesalers and retailers in Harare had increased the price of beer.
The price of an Eagle brand quart is now $1,20 up from $1 while the opaque Shake Shake now sells for $0,60 up from $0,50. Prices of soft drinks and a few lines of beer remained unchanged as of yesterday.
Delta Beverages increased the price of beer last year after the Government’s decision in the 2013 national budget to review upwards the rate of excise duty of clear beer from 40 percent to 45 percent to enhance revenue inflows.
Delta Corporation’s revenue for the first quarter, which ended 30 June this year, rose 8 percent on the back of a strong demand for soft drinks and sorghum beer.
Revenue rose to $153 million up from $142 million in the same period last year while volumes rose 4 percent, to slightly above 1,7 million hectoliters.
All beverage categories except lager beer registered volume growth. Soft drinks grew 13 percent to 374 000 hectolitres while sorghum beer rose 6 percent 846 000 hectolitres.
Volumes for Maheu jumped 80 percent to 36 000 hectolitres. Lager volumes, however, contracted by 8 percent to 463 000 hectolitres.
Delta controls about 96 percent of the beer market and about 92 percent of the sparkling beverages in the country.



